1. Field of Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to an improved method of and apparatus for reading bar code symbols in diverse scanning environments using laser scanning beam technology.
2. Brief Overview of the State of the Art
Typically, single line laser scanning bar code symbol reading systems have a nominal scan angle which controls the width (i.e. length) of the scan line projected onto a target surface. In most designs, this scan angle is fixed and the scan line length, at a given scanning distance, is sufficient in most cases.
However, there are applications, such as bar code menu scanning and tong-range scanning, where there is a need for greater flexibility in control over the length and intensity characteristics of the laser scan line, so as to avoid undesirable beam energy characteristics occurring at the extreme locations of the laser scan line, where the laser scanning beam decelerates, stops completely, and then accelerates in the opposite direction during each half of a complete laser beam scanning cycle.
There is a great need in the art to provide an improved laser scanning code symbol reading system having an improved level control over the length and intensity characteristics of a laser scan line, while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art methodologies and apparatus.